Hon. Patricia Collins
JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE
1992-2008 Superior Court Judge, Los Angeles, California
Assignments in long cause civil (Central Civil West), civil independent
calendar (Central Civil and West District), Law & Motion Department
(West District), and felony trials and long cause/high security criminal
trials (Criminal Courts Building). Appointed by Gov. Pete Wilson and
re-elected. Retired May 5, 2008.
1988-1992 Municipal Court Judge, Los Angeles Municipal Court
Also served as Supervising Judge of the Metropolitan Court. Assignments
in criminal misdemeanor trials (Metropolitan and West Los Angeles) and
felony preliminary hearings (Criminal Courts Building). Appointed by
Governor Deukmejian and re-elected.
1994 Judge pro tem, Court of Appeal
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
In her sixteen years on the Superior Court, as well as recently with ADR
Services, Inc., Judge Collins has settled scores of cases involving
insurance coverage, personal injury, medical malpractice, entertainment
law, partnership dissolutions, mold infestation, contract and commercial
lease disputes, wrongful termination, and homeowner association
disputes. She has also presided over sophisticated business disputes
between national and multinational organizations, matters involving
high-profile parties, as well as complex asbestos litigation.
Judge Collins’ twenty years on the bench was preceded by extensive
federal court trial experience with the United States Attorney’s Office,
including complex bank and real estate fraud matters. Judge Collins also
has litigated in private practice where she primarily handled business
and insurance matters.
View Judge Collins' Representative Cases
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1982-1988 Assistant US Attorney, Central District of California,
Criminal Division
1987-1988 Chief, Major Crimes Unit, supervising prosecution of violent
federal offenses,
including murder, rape, and arson;
1983-1987 Major Frauds Unit,
prosecuting primarily complex business, banking and real estate related
federal criminal violations.
1979-1982 Adams Duque & Hazeltine, Associate, Civil litigation practice,
primarily business, antitrust and insurance defense.
1977-1979 Jones Day, Reavis & Pogue, Washington D.C., Law Clerk (part
time).
EDUCATION
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER, JD cum laude (1979)
STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF NY AT BUFFALO, BA summa cum laude (1975)
CANISIUS COLLEGE, Buffalo, NY (1972)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Current: Los Angeles County Bar Association; Women Lawyers of Los
Angeles; California Judges Association; National Women Judges
Association; Southern California Business Litigation Inn of Court;
Association of Business Trial Lawyers; American Bar Association.
Past: Irish American Bar Association; Bureau of National Affairs, Civil
Trial Manual Advisory Board; Municipal Court Judges Association.
Admitted to practice: California; Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal;
Central, Southern & Northern Districts of California
This page was last modified in September 2009
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